Acehnese elementary students listen to instructions during an Indonesian Red Cross tsunami training exercise on the outskirts of Banda Aceh. Indonesia has made significant strides in educating its residents about disaster threats, but analysts say more needs to be done to enhance preparedness. [Tarmizy Harva/Reuters]

The deadly 9.3 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that devastated countries around the Indian Ocean in December 2004 is something many people in the region would rather forget.

Over 230,000 people are estimated to have died across the region, though the actual toll may be much higher. In addition, tens of thousands were injured, while millions were displaced or left homeless.

Indonesia was the worst affected, with Aceh Province suffering the brunt of casualties and damage.

Small wonder, then, that a pair of tremors earlier this month brought back nightmarish memories. The 8.6 quake took place some 434 km south-west of Banda Aceh on April 11th and forced Indonesia and other countries in the region – including Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and Burma -- to sound tsunami alerts.

Another tremor measuring 8.2 struck a couple of hours later and triggered a tsunami, though it was only 1m high. Five deaths were reported, all apparently due to heart attacks.

Beyond Indonesia, evacuation orders went out for coastal areas in Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and Burma.

Within a week, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged the National Disaster Management Agency (BPNB) and the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to draft an emergency response master plan.

The quick response shows that disaster preparedness management is heading in the right direction, experts told Khabar Southeast Asia. According to Eko Teguh Paripurno, Chairman of the Indonesian Society for Disaster Management (MPBI), public awareness about the issue has risen dramatically.

"Local people and governments have demonstrated a better response," he said. "They were able to work together well The improvements have also won praise from UN officials, who said regional investments in disaster management have yielded fruit.

"The fact that most people in the affected areas were promptly alerted to the situation and moved to higher ground is a testament to the effectiveness of the preparedness actions and early warning system," said Ignacio Leon-Garcia, head of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Indonesia. "I think we can be reassured that we are on the right track."

Anticipate disasters, don't just respond to them

Nevertheless, Eko said, there is still considerable room for improvement. In particular, emergency response plans must not be limited to dealing with the aftermath of disaster; it must also pay more attention to pre-emergency preparedness. Furthermore, efforts must go beyond the government and be taken up by local communities.

"The community-based approach is the most important one. Schools should introduce emergency evacuation drills to their students," he said.

Finally, developers must make a commitment to disaster risk reduction. Indeed, Eko said, this should be a requirement for obtaining a legal permit for any development project.

"Don't let developments create higher risks when disaster happens," he said. "We can survive through good management. It is basic human rights to get protection and stay alive."

Panic adds to problems in an emergency

Even the best-planned emergency plans can go awry when people become terrified and forget the procedures. According to the BPNP, that is what happened in some locations on April 11th, hampering evacuation efforts.

People on motorbikes and in cars pack Banda Aceh streets after an 8.6 magnitude earthquake struck on April 11th. Public panic created traffic jams that hampered evacuation efforts. [Junaidi Hanafiah /Reuters]

The West Sumatran capital of Padang, for example, saw scenes of chaos as people panicked and decided to drive off in their cars. The result was a massive traffic jam.

During regularly staged evacuation drills, everything went well -- but not when the real emergency happened.

According to Wignyo Adiyoso, a staff member at the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), shortcomings in the tsunami early warning system may have hampered the effort. Although the warning sirens could have been sounded within 10 minutes of the quake, it was actually a half hour before it went off.

Similar disarray was seen in other regional countries jolted by the tremors. Coastal areas in Thailand experienced massive traffic gridlock and frustration as people sought to evacuate high risk zones, according to a Khabar correspondent based in the country.

Scenes of confusion were also reported in Sri Lanka, where over 30,000 lives were lost in the 2004 tsunami, although the authorities were widely lauded for improving response procedures.

In Indonesia, legislation was adopted after the catastrophe "to encourage people to get involved in disaster management, starting with mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery," said Wignyo, who is also a doctoral student in management at Ritsumeikan University in Japan. "Unfortunately, it is still far from what we expect."

Currently, the budget allocated for disaster response is only spent on recovery, not preparedness, he said. If no disaster occurs during the year, the budget must be returned to the Ministry of Finance.

"Such a mindset must be changed. The government should pour more money on a mitigation and preparedness plan," Wignyo said.

By contrast, he said, Japan has allocated 16% of its state budget to disaster preparedness management. It also enforces building codes and other measures aimed at mitigating the risk.

Master plan in the works

President Yudhoyono has pledged to improve the funding situation. With the inter-agency master plan expected to be finished within the next two months, he has called on the BNPB and other government authorities to prepare a budget plan right away. High-risk provinces will be at the top of the priority list when it comes to spending.

Among the specific measures under review is the establishment of additional vertical shelters along beaches. Such shelters – which can take the form of disaster-proofed government offices, schools, hotels and prayer buildings -- help protect people living in coastal villages who have trouble reaching designated escape routes quickly.

Currently, the number of such shelters remains limited. In Padang, West Sumatra, there are only seven buildings available while 300-500 are needed for evacuation. A similar situation is found in Aceh.

Besides the vertical shelters, the president has also urged his staffs to provide high-risk areas with better early warning systems. These would include not only tsunami detectors, but also buoys, sirens and GPS systems.

For analysts such as Wignyo, life in Indonesia and other regional countries is inevitably bound up with the risk of natural disasters. Law enforcement, human resource development, integrated early warning system improvement, public education in disaster management, hazard mapping in high potential areas and disaster research are all areas in need of greater support, he said.

"Considering the situation, Indonesia must do its homework immediately. It is only a question of when and where the next disaster happens," Wignyo said.